The Fifth Marauder
by Javien Deluke
Summary: Eleven-year-old Regulus Black is physically abused by his father after his parents disown his twelve-year-old brother, Sirius Black. Before his fifth year, Regulus was a Gryffindor and the fifth marauder. Remus/Regulus and later Sirius/Remus.
1. Detriment

"Get out, we don't want you here."

Sirius stood very still for a moment and had James not been paying full attention to him, he might not have noticed. Sirius stood very still for a moment and stared, wide-eyed at Walburga and Orion Black, his parents. The two adult people in his life whom were supposed to love him until the day they died.

James turned his head to look at Sirius, and the shaking started. His eyes were still wide, so wide they could have fallen out of their sockets and dropped onto the floor. He thought maybe there was a break down coming for a moment, but no, he should have expected what happened. The wicked, shit-eating grin that spread across their son's face almost sent shivers down James' spine. It was disturbing and annoying, but it was so much more than that. It was painful and loud and lonely. Then the laughing. He laughed freely and hysterically and then it was almost deafening. Sirius Black laughed like a maniac.

"So that's it then?" He gasped, tears of mirth streaming down his face.

James watched in horror as Sirius' small body shook with laughter and an ache grew in his chest because he could see right through it. It wasn't a happy laugh, you see. It was terrible and sad.

"You're finally sick of me? Took you damn long enough!"

James' face went very white and with a fury he hadn't known existed in his short life, he glared at Mr. and Mrs. Black. They stared back unapprovingly as James cleared his throat and grinded his teeth shut as he clamped a strong hand down on Sirius' arm, just above the elbow. He pulled him of the house and down the sidewalk and that was when the boy drew in a fresh breath of air and pulled them to a stop.

"I have to go back, James. I have to go collect my things before they can burn them."

All signs of the previous fit were gone from Sirius' face. It was replaced with a solemn, broken, far off look that said he was only really half there with James. He was only standing there, not really seeing him.

"Of course," James sighed, squeezing his arm before letting him go. "Make it quick."

Sirius nodded and then ran back. His parents stopped talking when he walked through the threshold and stared at him as they would any intruder. Like he was an old soggy dog stepping in from the rain and he was dripping all over their floor. Once Sirius got up the carpeted stairs, he started dragging every belonging he had out onto his carpet and into his small leather suitcase. Not everything would fit, he realized with a curse under his breath, but he'd carry as much as he could.

"Siri-..." came a small voice from the doorway. Sirius froze. Oh lord... Regulus. He paused in thought for a moment and just looked at Regulus. His lip was bleeding under the tooth that bit it, digging further and further into the soft flesh as Sirius continued to gaze at his younger brother. They stared at each other, Regulus' face becoming paler and paler until he couldn't look anymore. Sirius went back to stuffing things into his suitcase. He'd gotten his school books, his robes, his notebook...

"Sirius, please..." Regulus whispered, his voice shaking.

Sirius tried hard to ignore the pleading in Regulus' voice.

"You can't go... you can't just LEAVE me here." He could have screamed it, but he only spoke softer than before, so that Sirius could hardly hear him. Sirius squeezed the last shirt into the suitcase and clamped it closed, standing to leave. It was only then, when he was about to walk out of this house for what he sincerely hoped was the last time that he saw his little brother, trying so desperately to swell and fill the door space. His jaw was clenched hard as he stood firm in Sirius' way. Sirius smiled weakly at him. He couldn't believe how much smaller Regulus was.

"Reg... they'll get pissed at you too. Don't do this to yourself," Sirius whispered back, scooting past Regulus' still form and ruffling the other boy's hair on his way out.

"They'll tell you I'm an idiot and they'll tell you I'm worthless, but don't you ever for a minute let them tell you that you're either of those things."

"Will you let me live with you?" He finally choked when Sirius reached the stairs. "Please..."

He was close to tears.

"I'll.. Regulus, I'll think about it. Really, I will. But not right now."

He still kept his voice low in case their parents might hear.

"Now get out! You've wasted enough of our time!" Walburga hollered as he jogged down the stairs.

"Feeling's mutual, bitch!" he spat in her face.

So broom in one hand, suitcase in the other, he left Regulus with, in his opinion, the most horrible people on the face of the planet.


	2. Liability

"Eat your dinner." His mother ordered three hours later. The whole afternoon had been a complete blur to Regulus. For most of it, he'd stood in one place and stared out the window in his room just as he was now staring out the dining room window. Walburga Black didn't even look up at her son. Grilled chicken and mashed potatoes slipped off his fork and spoon. He couldn't bring himself to get it to his mouth. Orion Black was reading the paper. Regulus' left hand tightened around the fork and when his mother looked up, she slapped his knuckles harshly with the knife. A long, narrow cut formed at the base of Regulus' fingers. The food might as well have been poisoned and he didn't want to try to eat awkwardly with his right hand.

"How many times have I told you not to eat with your left hand?" She scolded, ripping the fork out of his left hand.

"_Enough times for me to remember,_" Regulus thought bitterly.

The woman continued to berate him and he let his eyes slip closed, trying as hard as he could to block out her words. This was one torture Sirius had never had to endure with him- he was born right handed. Mrs. Black was now throwing a fit over his thinness and how the neighbors probably thought they were starving him whenever he went out to check the mail. His usual, "of course, mother," and "I'll eat more, mother," weren't as close to the front of his mind as he would later wish they were. Regulus jerked his left hand away from her and stood abruptly, letting her bellows of opposition fall on deaf ears as he made his way to the stairs. If Regulus had turned around, if only he'd turned around; he would have seen his father's eyes on him and gone back. As it was, he didn't.

As the silence settled around him in his room, Regulus realized that the quiet was more disturbing than when Sirius had fought with their parents. Regulus strained his ears to try and hear even a cough or the rustle of the newspaper back down in the kitchen. He stood like a statue in his own bedroom, unsure of exactly how to go on with life. It had only been three and a half hours since he'd left, but Regulus missed Sirius terribly. He was also afraid, More afraid than he'd ever been in his entire life around their impulsive parents. Not because they'd changed, but because he'd only just realized that the impulses had been directed at Sirius since before he was ever born. Regulus was going to Hogwarts this year. What if, he too, was sorted into Gryffindor? Regulus didn't have any more time left to think when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Orion Black when he turned. The man had a strange sort of look about him.

"Father..?" Regulus ventured uncertainly.

"You disobeyed your mother, Regulus."

His voice was almost gentle, forgiving. Regulus's father stepped forward and raised a fist.

"_Oh God,_" Regulus thought, swallowing hard before the fist fell and struck his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Sirius was silent as they flew back to the Potter house.<p>

"I didn't think me visiting would-" James began, but was cut off by Sirius.

"Do not, even start that. This is _not_ your fault." Sirius's voice was cut off from emotion. James looked back in front of them to avoid veering off course.

"...I'm sorry, Sirius."

"You're okay, James. They're insane. They are completely fucking mental. Don't you dare try to take the blame for this."

Sirius's voice was still cut off.

"What about Regulus?" James asked cautiously.

Sirius didn't say anything for a moment, but it wasn't because he was thinking. His body had gone stiff.

"Reg'll be fine... he's smart. He won't act out. He'll be perfectly fine."


	3. Mistreatment and Protection

Orion Black wiped his knuckles on a red towel before walking out of the bathroom and humming softly, his voice fading as he went back down the stairs. Regulus waited until he was sure the man was out of earshot before allowing himself to breathe, move, live. He closed his eyes and relaxed the whole left side of his body against the cold of the floorboards and inhaled slowly, wincing at each painful breath of air falling just short of enough. He decided to close his eyes there for a minute before peeling himself off the wood and moving to the bed just next to him. When he tried to move, he tasted something foul in his mouth and he spat blood. It wasn't from his mouth, he realized, and collapsed back onto the floor in pain, shaking slightly and trying to get back in control of his breathing. At least, he later thought, his father had had enough sense to steer clear of his face. As his breathing finally slowed and he'd calmed himself down by whispering soft reassurances, he tried again. The pain was worse and he spat more blood, but this time Regulus managed to haul himself up onto the mattress. He tried again to breathe with some difficulty and again whispered out loud to himself.

"It's okay... we'll be okay. Sleep now. Go to sleep.."

The last thought that occured to Regulus before he did finally drift off to bliss was how mind-numbingly beautiful it was that he had turned eleven six days ago and that he would be off to Hogwarts in less than three weeks.

* * *

><p>James' parents had, of course, fussed over the hole in Sirius' sleeve when they arrived for dinner. She insisted that he change before they ate. All Sirius did was nod and laugh a little, then allow himself to be pulled away by Mrs. Potter. Only after they'd gone did his father clamp a gentle hand down on James' shoulder.<p>

"What happened with his parents, son? You're white as a sheet..." His father's eyes were filled with kindness and worry.

James cleared his throat.

"Can we talk about this after dinner?"

His father nodded in response and then pulled him away to set the table.

There were jokes and a laughter that night. That's all Sirius could remember later when they were sent to bed. He didn't remember what he was laughing about, just that everything was hilarious. Mostly a courtesy of Dorea Potter and her stories about the ministry and misplaced charms and letters. She even let the boys each drink a small glass of wine before sending them off. Sirius smiled warmly at the two and thanked them for dinner. They were about to go upstairs when she called James back, supposedly to talk about his school schedule. He patted Sirius on the back before going back into the kitchen.

The atmosphere around his parents had turned drastically in on itself when James reappeared at the table. His father was standing at the end of it and his mother was leaning agains the refrigerator. Both were staring expectantly at him.

"His parents..." James began, noting that his mother's lips were a thin white line. "They disowned... him... Sirius..."

Charlus Potter had turned, a hand in his hair before James had even finished. His face when he turned back was unreadable. His mother stared slightly past James' head, a murderous look upon her face. Her jaw stuck out and her mouth was open slightly, revealing her teeth connecting unevenly. Her hands rested on her hips and she stood with her weight on the left foot. Mr. Potter recovered quickly. He opened his mouth to speak, to attempt to calm her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't even. Right now..." she whispered calmly, still staring over James's head. "I want to kill his parents."

Another strangled silence. James looked down at his hands. What he was about to ask could either go very well right now or very bad very quickly.

"Could he... do you think he could stay here? With us?" James's eyes were pleading as he gazed at his mother's.

"What are you talking about, James? Of course he's staying here." She almost spat. James blinked a bit, surprised.

Charlus, however, smiled warmly at his son.

"We'll talk to him tomorrow. Now, go get some sleep. School is in a couple of weeks."

James walked into his room to find Sirius curled up on the spare mattress on the floor. If asked later, he wouldn't be able to explain the feeling that rushed over him in that moment. Only that Sirius + spare mattress + floor = something very, very bad.

"Get up." James ordered.

Sirius obliged, fast as he could. He stared at James, waiting for what came next.

"You. Bed. Now." He grinded out.

James rubbed his eyes and waited. Sirius did nothing but look at him like a kicked puppy.

"I'd rather sleep on the spare, if you don't mind."

James imagined that he looked somewhat like his mother had in the kitchen except for the hatred impact it had. He stood there a minute and stared at Sirius before going over to his bed and promptly ripping it off the frame. James then dragged the mattress over Sirius' on the floor and layed it next to his. His friend gave him a strange look before lying back down on the spare.


	4. Sleepless

Later that night, James woke to someone calling his name.

"James..." The voice came again. It sounded like Sirius. It took James a minute to realize that Sirius was the only other person in his bedroom at 3:00 in the morning in his groggy state of mind.

"James?" Sirius asked again, quieter. James looked over at him, still curled in on himself. He looked so small. He hated it.

"Yes?" James managed. Sirius took a moment to respond. James imagined his eyes, staring at nothing yet sleepless all the same.

"I don't feel good." James frowned at Sirius's back. He knew Sirius didn't mean he felt ill. He roled onto his back and stared at the ceiling fan.

"Close your eyes, Sirius."

"It won't all be better in the morning." Came the gruff reply.

" That's not what I said." James sighed, tired.

"I can't sleep... I don't feel good." James couldn't stand how small Sirius sounded. It scared the hell out of him and he hated it.

"I know," he whispered, reaching over to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder. Sirius recoiled a little, but didn't shrug it off. He said nothing else until he fell back to sleep.

The following morning, Sirius woke first. He realized, with distaste, that he had in fact slept for a few hours. He decided to get up and do something rather than fidget and risk waking James. Everything went as usual while he went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, got dressed. Everything was normal. Until, that is, he entered the kitchen looking for breakfast.

"Sirius," A man's voice said from behind him. It startled him so badly, for what reason he couldn't fathom, that he dropped the glass he'd been holding and it shattered all over the floor. He whirled on the voice to find a rather shocked looking Mr. Potter.

"Sorry," Sirius grunted, turning back around to clean up the broken glass.

"Stop!" Sirius froze. Mr. Potter sighed. "I'm sorry, please, not with your bare hands. You'll get cut." Mr. Potter pulled out his wand and muttered a simple cleaning spell.

"Thanks," Sirius said after a moment, standing.

"No problem. Um-" He began when he saw Sirius turn to leave. "We need to talk."

Sirius black's heart almost stopped dead in his chest.


	5. So It Is

Regulus ached. He ached like a big bucket of slugs and chopped liver with acid being poored over it all slowly like Chinese Water Torture. It was three days before going to Hogwarts and he already had a nasty-looking purple bruise on his cheek bone. That one hadn't been planned. In fact, it happened when his father had struck his collar bone and he was pushed back and lost his balance. Regulus hit his head on the dresser on his way down, thus the bruise. Of course, though, his father had been even more angry about that and held him down for more beating.

Regardless of any reasoning whatsoever, Regulus spent the next twelve and a half minutes laying peacefully on the ground beside his bed. He ached, but he lay still with his hands neatly wrapped on his stomach, listening to himself breathe. It was surprisingly helpful to lie still after something bad happened to you. He smiled optimistically to himself and brought out his journal, adding the observation to it on a clean page. He didn't add the beating. He never wrote about the beatings.

His mother brought him breakfast the morning he was leaving for Hogwarts.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" She cried happily, mercilessly flinging the shades open to reveal sunlight.

She laughed and tickled the side of his neck when he groaned and pulled the covers up around him. Yelping in surprise, Regulus jerked himself upright on the bed when he realized where he was and what was happening.

"Rise and shine, cupcake, buttercup, apple-of-my-eye," she cooed sweetly at him.

Walburga Black leaned forward and kissed Regulus's cheek then sat on the edge of his bed with a plate full of eggs, bacon, and potatoes. He wasn't sure why potatoes, but knew not to question.

"You're off to Hogwarts already! Can you believe it? I can't... oh we're so _proud_ of you Regulus, I can't even _tell_ you! Hurry up now, eat up. Build nice strong bones!" She cheered him on as if he'd won a national quidditch tournament single-handedly.

He was confused to the point of wondering if he would wake up at any time, but shoveled food into his mouth to stop himself from speaking. Then, he took a moment to watch in awe as this madness before him began to unfold. His mother, HIS mother: Walburga Black, prancing around in an apron and humming some cheery little wizard tune and bringing him breakfast. All hell had frozen over.

Regulus caught on quickly. They were to appear to be a normal, loving family in public. The idea absolutely sickened Regulus in contrast to the reality and he smiled rather foolishly after breakfast and walked into the bathroom to promptly hurl it all back up. He'd eat on the train.

* * *

><p>Mr. Potter had explained to Sirius that he would be staying with them and seeing as he was only thirteen years old, he didn't get to say no. Where else would he go, really? They hadn't expected him to say no and he didn't, they just wanted to give him more reasons to stay. But arriving at King's Cross station was so strange to him after the summer's events. He didn't know who would be paying for the remainder of his years at Hogwarts and no matter how many times he asked the Potters, they simply wouldn't give him a straight answer. Maybe it was them and they didn't want him to feel bad. Feeling bad, though, was saved for when Sirius spotted Regulus and his parents with their usual routine of hugging and clapping him on the shoulder. He frowned and narrowed his eyes as he watched this, though, noticing the slight grimace even from where he was when Orion touched Regulus.<p>

"Sirius?" James asked. "Are you getting on the train or not? Because, I mean, I kind of want to be a _wizard_ after all this is over. Don't you?" He grinned evilly.

"You? A wizard? No way! There'll be none of that!" he exclaimed with false exasperation, slapping James on the shoulder as he hurried into the train.

* * *

><p>Regulus saw James and Sirius boarding the train and so longed to run over to them, to escape his parents in front of him. But Walburga and Orion Black insisted on walking him right up to the train to exchange hugs and teary-eyed last minute goodbyes to their 'Sweet Little Regulus.' Regulus accepted the kisses and hugs from his mother and he accepted the pat on the shoulder and fond "Farewell, son," and "Good luck!" From his father, but he wanted to be away. <em>NOW.<em> So he complained about train seating and pulled his luggage on board and quickly made his way through the compartments. He'd only begun to hold up his luggage to the compartment when a voice called his name. It was Sirius. Instead of being composed or normal and turning around to smile or wave, he dropped his trunk on his foot.

A small gasp of surprise escaped him. Cursing his bad luck, Regulus started to try to pick the heavy suitcase back up when he felt a second pair of arms helping him lift it into the compartment. He smiled and turned to face Sirius then. A warm smile quickly turned to a shocked, open-mouthed and wide-eyed stare. Regulus frowned again and let his eyes die and fall to his brother's shoes. They stood there a moment before Sirius cleared his throat to speak.

"Did father do this to you?" Regulus fingered the bruise on his cheek bone mindlessly before nodding. James, Remus, and Peter had appeared behind Sirius. James pulled Sirius away towards the food trolly by the arm and Peter was still staring helplessly at the ugly purple and blue blotch on Regulus's face. The boy next to him seemed to bristle uncomfortably at Peter's reaction.

"Well Regulus," he spoke with confidence. "Nice to meet you. I'm Remus Lupin. Care to join us?" He offered Regulus a hand. Regulus was aware of another pureblood boy glaring daggers at the back of his neck, but he smild gratefully and accepted the request happily.

"He's wonderful," a voice in the back of Regulus's mind whispered. He shivered and shluffed off the thought before it had time to grow.

Regulus didn't see Sirius for the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts. He was beginning to get a little worried about his older brother.

"Do you think Sirius is alright?" Regulus asked the boy sitting across from himself. Remus smiled kindly at him.

"He'll be okay, Regulus. With James there with him, I'm sure of it."

"Our parents," Regulus began, not entirely sure where he was going with this. Could he tell the other boy about what his father had done? Could he talk about his probably insane mother? "Shouldn't have disowned Sirius. He didn't do anything wrong and... I missed him." Regulus almost found himself choking up at the last part. The idea that he was safe at Hogwarts and nobody would hurt him boggled his mind. If he'd been watching, he would have seen the looks on Peter and Remus's face. The looks were gone as soon as he turned to face them, but the damage was done.

"I'm going to find James." Peter said suddenly. "Do either of you want anything from the trolley?" Remus shook his head, no. Regulus politely thanked him, but declined.

"Regulus," Remus said after he'd left. "You know you can tell us anything, right? No matter what it is."

In that moment, Regulus wanted to be brave. He wanted to be self-sacrificing and keep it to himself. He knew the four of them would be his best friends at Hogwarts, but he didn't know offhandedly if he could trust them with the nature of his parents.

"You know she... she came in with an apron this morning. Brought me breakfast. Humming some... I don't know, music." Remus stared wide-eyed at the boy. He didn't know hyow to stop- it was all just spilling out. "And when we were at the station, she was still smiling and when we were talking to the Malfoys, she said she was proud of me and she messed up my hair."

There was a silence.

"That doesn't seem like-" Remus began, but Regulus went on, now too far in to turn around.

"And a few weeks ago, no, has it been a month? Dad started this then. Right after Sirius left. I don't think he lost his mind, really, he just..."

Remus watched in awe as the boy's lip quivered. Sirius would have never told any of them any of this. He morbidly wondered if the same thing had been going on behind the scenes with Sirius as well.

"He hit you?" Remus asked cautiously.

Regulus nodded, then excused himself to go to the bathroom.

Once there, he looked on in horror at the bruise on his face. It stretched far down his jaw and rested at the base of his collarbone. No wonder everyone had made such a fuss about it- it appeared someone had taken a baseball bat and practiced with his face.


End file.
